Chrysanthemum plant named `Raspberry Ice`

ABSTRACT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, and referred to by the cultivar name Raspberry Ice.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The female parent of Raspberry Ice was the commercial variety Ultralight (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,084), and the male parent was Marsala, an unpatented European variety. The cross was made in the summer of 1988.

Raspberry Ice was discovered and selected as a unique flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross by Peter S. Hesse in October 1989 in a controlled environment at Clearwater Nursery in Nipomo, Calif. 93444, U.S.A. Compared to its female parent, Ultralight, Raspberry Ice has an 8.5 week response time compared to 9 weeks for the parent, Ultralight is lavendar in color compared to Raspberry Ice and has a tall, upright habit compared with the more spreading habit of Raspberry Ice. The new cultivar also differs from its male parent Marsala which has a clubby apprearance with flowers tightly arranged with gaps on individual branches. The upper ray floret color of Marsala is dark maroon while that of Raspberry Ice is greyed-purple.

Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successive plantings has shown that the unique combination of characterisitics as herein disclosed for Raspberry Ice are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken in January, 1990 in a controlled environment in Nipomo, Calif.

Raspberry Ice has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in the environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plants grown in a controlled environment in Nipomo, Calif. Unrooted cuttings were directly stuck into 6.5" pots and grown under the natural temperature and day length prevailing in January through March of 1996.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of Raspberry Ice, which in combination distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar.

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Daisy capitulum type.

3. Greyed-Purple fully expanded outer ray florets.

4. Yellow Daisy disc with green eye.

5. Diameter across the face of the capitulum of 10.2 cm.

6. Exceptional upright to spreading habit with an average of 4.6 breaks after a single pinch.

7. Flowering response is approximately 58 days from the start of short days.

8. Relatively easy to control plant height from bench such that the finished height will range from 16 inches to 18 inches depending on pot size and market requirements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawing shows a typical inflorescence and leaf characteristics of Raspberry Ice, with the colors being as nearly true as possible with illustrations of this type.

Sheet 1 is a color photograph of Raspberry Ice grown as a pinched spray mum with 5 cuttings in a 6.5" pot.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar in form, color, and habit to Raspberry Ice is the unpatented cultivar Maroon Akron. Chart A compares certain characteristics of Raspberry Ice to the same characteristics of Maroon Akron. Color designations are in reference to 1986 edition of R.H.S. Colour Chart first published in 1986 by the British Royal Horticultural Society, London, England. The plants were grown side by side in a controlled greenhouse environment. The growth regulator B-Nine™ was applied at a rate of 2,500 ppm in three applications. Comparisons were made in Nipomo, Calif.

    ______________________________________                                         CHART A                                                                                   MAROON AKRON                                                                               RASBERRY ICE                                            ______________________________________                                         CAPITULUM FORM                                                                              FLAT          FLAT                                                CAPITULUM TYPE                                                                              DAISY         DAISY                                               DIAMETER ACROSS                                                                             6.7 CM        10.2 CM                                             FACE OF CAPITULUM                                                              BRANCHING    UPRIGHT       UPRIGHT                                             PATTERN      SPREADING     SPREADING                                           BREAKS/PINCH 6             4.6                                                 HEIGHT IN A 6.5" POT                                                                        16-18 INCHES  16-18 INCHES                                        DISC FLORET COLOR                                                                           MOSTLY YELLOW MOSTLY YELLOW                                                    GREEN 151A    GREEN 151A                                          # DISC FLORETS                                                                              180           151                                                 LENGTH OF DISC                                                                              0.6 CM        0.72 CM                                             FLORETS                                                                        RAY FLORET COLOR                                                                            60A           187C                                                (FRONT)                                                                        # RAY FLORETS                                                                               21.2          26                                                  SHAPE OF RAY ELLIPTIC      ELLIPTIC                                            FLORETS                                                                        LENGTH OF RAY                                                                               3.1 CM        4.79 CM                                             FLORETS                                                                        WIDTH OF RAY .75 CM        1.3 CM                                              FLORETS                                                                        NUMBER OF    10.2          6.8                                                 FLOWERS/BREAK                                                                  LEAF COLOR   137A UPPER    147A UPPER                                                       137C LOWER    147B LOWER                                          MATURE LEAF  11.4 CM       10.3 CM                                             LENGTH                                                                         MATURE LEAF  5.4 CM        5.1 CM                                              WIDTH                                                                          RESPONCE:    8.5 WEEKS:    8.5 WEEKS:                                          TREATMENT    Medium vigorous                                                                              Medium vigorous                                                  grower        grower                                              ______________________________________                                    

The two cultivars are similar in having a flat, daisy capitulum, an upright, spreading branching pattern, a similar finished plant height, elliptic ray florets, a response time of 8.5 weeks from the start of short days, and each has a mostly yellow disc floret color. However, the diameter of the capitulum of Raspberry Ice is larger than the capitulum of Maroon Akron, Maroon Akron has more breaks per pinch than Raspberry Ice and Maroon Akron tends to have more disc florets than Raspberry Ice. Additionally, the length of the disc florets is greater for Raspberry Ice. Using The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart as a standard reference, the front ray floret color for raspberry Ice is greyed-purple 187C while the color of the front ray florets of Maroon Akron is red-purple 60A. Maroon Akron has fewer ray florets than Raspberry Ice and its ray florets that are longer in length. The width of the ray florets of Raspberry Ice is greater than Maroon Akron. The color of the leaves of Maroon Akron is slightly lighter green than the color of the leaves of Raspberry ice and it has longer mature leaves.

The Plant

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora CV. name Raspberry Ice.

Commercial.--Flat daisy to be grown primarily as a Spray/CBR (center bud removed) pot mum.

Inflorescence:

Capitulum.--Form: Flat. Type: daisy. Diameter across face: average of 10.2 cm.

Corolla of ray florets.--Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters): Yellow. Color: Front Fully Expanded Ray Floret: 187C. back Fully Expanded Ray Floret: 185D. Disc Floret Color. Edge begins with 14A to Center Green of 151A. Disc Diameter: 1.2 cm .

General appearance:

Height.--When grown in a 6.5" pot with 1-4 applications of B-Nine™ at a rate of 2500 ppm, the total plant height from the bottom of the pot may be maintained at 16 to 18 inches.

Branching pattern.--Upright and spreading with an average of 4.6 breaks when grown with one pinch.

Foliage.--Color (upper surface): 147A. Color (lower surface): 147B. Shape: See Photograph coarsely divided.

Reproductive organs.--Androecium: Present in disk florets. Gynoecium: Present in both ray florets and disk florets. Pollen: Scant. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct chrysanthemum plant named `Raspberry Ice` substantially as herein described and shown, characterized by the grey-purple color of the ray florets. 